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16th century CE54 events by century — click a bar to jump there20th century CE

16th century CE · 13

1509 Battle of Diu Battle
Portuguese naval victory over a Gujarati-Mamluk fleet.
Portuguese naval supremacy in the Arabian Sea was established.
Diu Portuguese Estado da Índia
1520 Krishnadevaraya takes Raichur Battle
Vijayanagara won the Raichur doab from Bijapur.
Raichur Tuluva Dynasty
1526 First Battle of Panipat Battle
Babur defeats Ibrahim Lodi; the Mughal Empire begins.
Ibrahim Lodi was killed and Babur founded the Mughal Empire.
Panipat Mughal Empire
1527 Battle of Khanwa Battle
Babur defeats Rana Sanga.
Babur defeated Rana Sanga's Rajput confederacy, securing Mughal rule in the north.
Khanwa Mughal Empire
1529 Battle of the Ghaghra Battle
Babur defeated the Afghan chiefs of the east.
Ghaghra river Mughal Empire
1539 Battle of Chausa Battle
Sher Shah defeats Humayun.
Humayun was defeated and escaped by swimming the Ganga.
Chausa Sur Empire
1540 Battle of Kannauj Battle
Sher Shah Suri defeats Humayun, who goes into exile.
Humayun fled into exile and Sher Shah founded the Sur Empire.
Kannauj Sur Empire
1555 Humayun recovers Delhi (Battle of Sirhind) Battle
Humayun regained his throne from the Surs.
Sirhind Mughal Empire
1556 Second Battle of Panipat Battle
Akbar's forces defeat Hemu.
Hemu was captured and killed, securing Akbar's throne.
Panipat Mughal Empire
1565 Battle of Talikota Battle
Deccan Sultanates defeat Vijayanagara; Hampi sacked.
Vijayanagara's army was routed and its capital Hampi was sacked.
Talikota Tuluva Dynasty
1568 Akbar takes Chittorgarh Battle
Chittor fell and Rana Udai Singh moved his capital to Udaipur.
Chittorgarh Mughal Empire
1576 Battle of Haldighati Battle
Maharana Pratap against Akbar's army under Man Singh.
The Mughals held the field but Maharana Pratap escaped to continue resisting.
Haldighati Mewar (Sisodia)
1576 Battle of Rajmahal: Mughals take Bengal Battle
Daud Khan Karrani was killed and Bengal became a Mughal province.
Rajmahal Mughal Empire

17th century CE · 4

1612 Battle of Swally Battle
English defeat the Portuguese; Surat factory follows.
The English defeated the Portuguese and won trading rights at Surat.
Suvali near Surat British East India Company
1659 Shivaji kills Afzal Khan at Pratapgad Battle
Bijapur's army was routed and Shivaji's power grew.
Pratapgad
1664 Shivaji sacks Surat Battle Surat
1671 Battle of Saraighat Battle
Lachit Borphukan's Ahom forces defeat the Mughal fleet on the Brahmaputra.
The Ahoms defeated the Mughals, keeping Assam independent.
Saraighat, Guwahati Ahom Kingdom

18th century CE · 17

1724 Battle of Shakar Kheda: Hyderabad State founded Battle
Nizam-ul-Mulk defeated the Mughal governor and founded Hyderabad State.
Shakar Kheda Hyderabad State (Nizams)
1737 Baji Rao raids Delhi Battle Delhi Maratha Empire
1739 Nadir Shah sacks Delhi Battle
Peacock Throne and Koh-i-Noor carried off.
Delhi was plundered and the Peacock Throne and Koh-i-Noor taken to Persia.
Karnal / Delhi Mughal Empire
1741 Battle of Colachel Battle
Travancore defeats the Dutch East India Company.
Travancore defeated the Dutch, ending Dutch ambitions in Kerala.
Colachel Travancore
1742 Maratha (Bargi) raids on Bengal Battle Murshidabad Nawabs of Bengal
1746 French capture Madras (First Carnatic War) Battle Chennai French India
1749 Battle of Ambur Battle
Anwaruddin Khan was killed; Chanda Sahib, backed by the French, took Arcot.
Ambur Carnatic (Nawabs of Arcot)
1751 Siege of Arcot Battle
Clive's defence of Arcot turned the Second Carnatic War in Britain's favour.
Arcot Carnatic (Nawabs of Arcot)
1757 Battle of Plassey Battle
Clive defeats Siraj ud-Daulah; Company rule begins in Bengal.
Siraj ud-Daulah was defeated and Mir Jafar became a Company-backed nawab.
Palashi British East India Company
1760 Battle of Wandiwash Battle
British defeat the French.
French power in India was broken.
Vandavasi British East India Company
1761 Third Battle of Panipat Battle
Ahmad Shah Durrani defeats the Marathas.
The Marathas were crushed by Ahmad Shah Durrani and their northward expansion checked.
Panipat Maratha Empire
1764 Battle of Buxar Battle
Company defeats Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daula and Shah Alam II.
The Company defeated Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daula and Shah Alam II together.
Buxar British East India Company
1767 First Anglo-Mysore War Battle Mysore Kingdom of Mysore
1775 First Anglo-Maratha War begins Battle Pune Maratha Empire
1780 Battle of Pollilur Battle
Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan destroyed a Company force under Colonel Baillie.
Pollilur Kingdom of Mysore
1795 Battle of Kharda Battle
Last joint Maratha victory, over Hyderabad.
The Marathas defeated the Nizam of Hyderabad.
Kharda Maratha Empire
1799 Fall of Srirangapatna Battle
Tipu Sultan killed in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War.
Tipu Sultan was killed and the Wodeyars were restored as Company allies.
Srirangapatna Kingdom of Mysore

19th century CE · 9

1803 Battle of Assaye Battle
Second Anglo-Maratha War.
Arthur Wellesley defeated the combined Scindia and Bhonsle armies.
Assaye British East India Company
1814 Anglo-Nepal War: siege of Nalapani Battle
The Gorkha garrison under Balbhadra Kunwar held out before withdrawing.
Nalapani, Dehradun Kingdom of Nepal — expansion era
1817 Battle of Khadki Battle
The Peshwa's army was defeated near Pune.
Khadki Maratha Empire
1824 Kittur revolt against the Company Battle
Rani Chennamma won an early victory but was captured in a second assault.
Kittur
1839 First Anglo-Afghan War begins Battle
Shah Shuja was installed in Kabul, but British forces were destroyed in 1842.
Kabul Emirate of Afghanistan
1842 British retreat from Kabul Battle
Almost the entire retreating British column was annihilated.
Gandamak Emirate of Afghanistan
1845 First Anglo-Sikh War Battle
The Sikhs ceded the Jullundur Doab and paid an indemnity.
Ferozeshah Sikh Empire
1858 Rani Lakshmibai falls at Gwalior Battle Gwalior
1878 Second Anglo-Afghan War Battle Kabul Emirate of Afghanistan

20th century CE · 11

1944 Battles of Imphal and Kohima Battle
The INA fought alongside Japanese forces.
Allied victory; the Japanese and INA were forced to retreat.
Kohima British Raj (Crown Rule)
1947 First Kashmir war Battle Srinagar
1962 Sino-Indian War Battle
China declared a ceasefire after advancing in the east and in Aksai Chin.
Tawang Republic of India
1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Battle
The war ended in a UN-backed ceasefire.
Lahore sector Republic of India
1971 Bangladesh Liberation War Battle
Bangladesh became an independent nation.
Eastern front Republic of India
1971 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Battle
Pakistan's Eastern Command surrendered on 16 December 1971.
Dhaka Republic of India
1979 Soviet intervention in Afghanistan Battle Kabul Afghanistan
1983 Sri Lankan civil war begins Battle Jaffna Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
1984 Operation Blue Star Battle Amritsar Republic of India
1996 Civil war begins in Nepal Battle Rolpa Kingdom of Nepal
1999 Kargil War Battle
India recaptured the heights that had been occupied.
Kargil Republic of India